


298 - Penpals

by storiesaboutvan



Category: Catfish and the Bottlemen (Band)
Genre: Cute meet, F/M, Fluff, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 22:23:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18417065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesaboutvan/pseuds/storiesaboutvan
Summary: You know how some classes are assigned penpals for an assignment? That's how you meant Van.





	298 - Penpals

**Author's Note:**

> When you read this, you'll get to a point where there is a little * At that point, come back and read this: So, depending on where you live you can fill in the blanks where this * is. If you live internationally from the UK, it can mean 'from the airport,' if closer… 'from the train station.' Whatever makes sense for your proximity to Van McCann.

**2006**

The class all held back giggles as Van McCann pissed off his English teacher yet again. 

"Look, Mr McCann, I know you're droppin' out to be a rockstar and I know you reckon if I get ya ma and pa on the phone they'll back you up, but you're mine for another thirty minutes yet, boy… Write." 

Van huffed and picked up the envelope on the desk with his name on it. He vaguely remembered having to fill out a questionnaire that would be sent to a class somewhere in the world. His class would all get letters, they were promised. Van wasn't too fussed. 

With nothing better to do, he pulled out the one-page letter. 

_"To Ryan,_

_Is your name Ryan or Van? My name is Y/N. I am 14 like you…"_

 

**2010**

Bernie McCann found his wife in the backyard cursing at the insects on the plants. She looked up when he came to her side. 

"What's he doin' in there then?" Bernie asked, followed by a peck on the cheek greeting. His only child was in the kitchen, attempting to wrap a large box in colourful wrap. 

"It's Y/N's birthday. Turning 18. Sending her somethin' in the post," 

"Y/N? Haven't heard that name in a bit. Figured he got bored with all that," Bernie replied surprised. Van hadn't ever stuck to much except for music. The thought that he had maintained contact with a person he was forced to write to in a school assignment years ago seemed farfetched. 

"They went digital a year… a year and a bit ago, maybe. Think they even talk on the phone sometimes," 

"Our phone?! He ain't racking up the phone bill is he?!" 

 

**2011**

Y/N: youre the coolest person ive ever met. sure that all the record company ppl will think so 2  
VM: u aint really met me ;)  
Y/N: guess so  
VM: we will meet but. Promise. 

 

**2012**

You were more than familiar with the experience of anxiety. Nerves… nervousness. Stress. Panic. Freaking the fuck out. But nothing you'd ever felt came close to the severity of that moment. Van was minutes away from picking you up ***** and you couldn't sit still. The way you were walking circles around your luggage was concerning the general public. Too stressed to register the stares, you just kept chewing your lip and watching the seconds tick by on your watch. 

You were internally debating if you should keep your sunglass on or off; on meant you would be able to survey the crowd more intently so as not to miss Van approaching, but would also mean you might be less recognisable to him, and vice-versa for off. Preoccupied with that, you didn't notice Van happily striding up to you. He'd almost come to a stand-still next to you when you finally turned to him. 

"Love!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the unsettled crowd once more. In an instant, all the fear melted away. Van bundled you up in a bear hug and rocked you dramatically side to side. "Y/N! It's good to proper meet ya! How class is this?!" 

All the teasing you got in high school for having a crush on your penpal was worth it. All the mean girls that said you had an 'imaginary boyfriend' and all the cunty boys that said that of course the only way a boy would talk to you was via letters, suddenly held very little room in your psyche. Van held onto you tight, and you vowed then and there that you'd never let him go. 

 

**2013**

"I am so, so fucking proud of you," you told Van. 

He was bouncing on the spot behind his band, ready to hit the stage of Reading for the first time. Catfish hadn't even released an album yet, but there was more than enough buzz to get them that far. Van smiled wide, then cackled a little. 

"This is… Where's Larry? This is fuckin'… monster. Oh, fuck!" He was a mess of excitement and gratitude and happiness; the human embodiment of the Energiser Bunny. "We're gonna do this. Like, proper, really," 

"Yeah! I know! I've told you that all along," you replied, nodding. 

"Yeah…" Van said, slowing down a little. He looked at you, still grinning. "This is probably the worst fuckin' timing in the world, but, ah," but he was cut off by a crew member telling them to walk. "But, um, yeah," he said quickly, then pulled you into him, his mouth colliding with yours in a messy first kiss. It was brief and before you'd even caught up, Van was on stage launching into song. 

"Can't believe it took him a whole fuckin' year to do that," Larry said, appearing from somewhere. 

 

**2014**

"So, how long have you known the guys?" she asked, leaning in with genuine curiosity, rather than a desire to fill awkward silence with conversation. 

"Um… Most of them for a couple years… Bondy since he's been around… Then Van… I _guess_ it all counts… so eight years?" you reply, your hesitation both audible and visible. 

"What do ya mean 'it all counts'?" 

"Well, um, me and Van met through school. His class and mine were like, penpal classes or whatever. We had to write to each other. Then we just… didn't stop…" you explained. 

"No way! Well, that's adorable. You guys are a thing, yeah?" she asked. Unable to hold in a smile, you tried to nod fast enough to hide it, not realising that that looked just as eager. She laughed. "Were you like, cute penpal boyfriend/girlfriend type thing?" 

"Nah, no. I mean, for the first few years we were just kids, like… I think I was fourteen or something. So, we didn't know what each other looked like and he said he was into music so I totally made up this bad ass babe image in my head, you know? So, I had a massive crush on him. Turned out to be a big goob, but couldn't shake the crush. Then, um… took about a year of being like, real life friends for us to… get together, or whatever," 

"That's probably the cutest story I've ever heard. Got real lucky, huh? Like, randomly got assigned a boyfriend almost," she laughed. "And look now. Real life record released," she added, motioning to the record launch party happening around the two of you. 

Sitting at the table in your best cocktail dress, you took a moment to look around. She wasn't wrong. It was random luck that brought you and Van together. However, it had been a whole lot of other things that kept you writing, emailing, Skyping, and talking. Mostly love. 

Across the room, Van caught your eye and winked. It made your stomach flip as hard as it used to whenever you'd check the letterbox after school. 

 

**2019**

"Van, you should fucking hear the stuff people say online. Have you read this? Did you know you have a coke habit? And like, there's a bunch of different people claiming to be your girlfriend," you half said to yourself and half yelled to Van across the flat. It was all ramble though. "Look! This blog reckons they've got evidence!" 

Van walked into the living room, everything about him heavy with exhaustion. He crumbled onto the couch next to you, slowly rolling his head to face you. You looked back at him, then raised your eyebrows, waiting for a response. Van just shrugged half-heartedly. 

Snapping your laptop closed, you put it on the coffee table and moved to get comfy next to him. Van curled himself around you, pushing his head into your hands so you could run your fingers through his hair; Van's go-to comfort move. 

"You need to talk about it," you whispered, gentle with his emotions. Van didn't reply. The room was quiet. The world outside was inconsequential. "We all get that things aren't… perfect… Or, like, exactly how you want them to be… But, it's gonna be okay. You know that, right?" 

Van offered another half-hearted shrug. You waited it out. 

"I just…" he began slowly after a minute. "It feels different, you know what I mean? We've always been about doin' things on our own terms. Fuck the label. Fuck what people say. But… it's…" 

When you were sure he wasn't going to finish the sentence, you tried for him. "It can't be like that when you're getting this big? I think people understand that though. Like, you were a kid when you started this band. You were a kid when people started to video ya and do interviews and stuff. Of course the plan you described then can't be what you actually do," 

"Feels like I'm lettin' people down," 

"You're not. And anyone who thinks that can honestly get fucked…" You thought for a second, then asked, "Why do you make the music?" 

"Huh?" 

"Like, why do you get up every day and write a bunch of songs? Why keep the band together? Why do you do it?" 

Van took a considered breath in and out while he thoughts. "To make people happy," he settled on. 

"Is that your interview answer or your real answer?" you checked. 

"Real." He sat up and looked at you seriously. "I just… I wanna write love songs for you. And I want to make me mum and dad proud. Doin' this does that… And when we play a show and you look at everyone in the crowd… they're happy. I just…" He paused again, then looked away from you. "Yeah. I just wanna make people happy," he concluded, with a third shrug. 

"I'm happy," you said quietly. "You've always made me happy… I mean, you've also made me really fucking pissed off sometimes, and sad and confused and excited and all that… But you make me happy, Van." 

He smiled and it was soft and sweet and reminiscent of his late teens/early twenties smirk. Slowly, he leaned in and pressed his forehead to yours. 

"I fuckin' love you, Y/N," 

"Love you too."


End file.
